


Don’t Want This Summer to End

by CaribMermaid



Series: Daredevil Alternate Universe [1]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blindness, Burns, F/M, Falling In Love, Feeling Sexually Inadequate, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Period-Typical Racism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma, True Love, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24471739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaribMermaid/pseuds/CaribMermaid
Summary: Matt and Karen met at a ball the day before the Pearl Harbor attack. He was a Navy pilot and she was a Navy nurse. Their new friendship will be tested by trauma, war and distance. Will love, compassion and perseverance be enough?
Relationships: Danny Rand/Colleen Wing, Frank Castle & Matt Murdock, Frank Castle/Maria Castle, Jessica Jones & Karen Page, Karen Page & Patricia Walker, Luke Cage & Jessica Jones & Matt Murdock & Danny Rand, Luke Cage/Claire Temple, Matt Murdock & Claire Temple, Matt Murdock & Frank Castle & Luke Cage & Danny Rand, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page, Matt Murdock/Karen Page
Series: Daredevil Alternate Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767562
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	1. The Ball

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to make this fic as historically accurate as possible, but I may have missed some details. I have very little military knowledge, especially of WWII, so if something is not correct please let me know. I used some documentaries and google searches for references.  
> My thanks to steelorchids and LilyEllison for being my amazing beta readers. You made this 100 times better.

It was a warm and beautiful Saturday night in Honolulu. It was December 6th of 1941 and Matt and his friends were on their way to the Navy ball. Frank could not wait to see his girlfriend Maria. Matt, Danny and Luke were single and eager to meet new people and socialize, or just distract themselves from their daily military duties. Matt and Danny were Navy pilots, while Frank and Luke were Marines. When they arrived at the ball Frank immediately spotted Maria, who was accompanied by three other girls. Two of them were brunettes and the other one was a blonde. Matt immediately asked Frank if he could introduce them to the girls. 

They walked up to them and Frank said hi to his girlfriend with a short but passionate kiss. 

“Guys,” he said, “this is my girlfriend, Maria, and her friends, Karen, Colleen and Claire. Karen and Claire are nurses here at the base’s hospital and their friend Colleen teaches martial arts at her father’s dojo. These are my friends Matt, Danny and Luke.”

Karen immediately caught Matt’s eyes. Her statuesque figure dressed in a long red velvet dress was difficult to miss among the guests. Her red lips contrasted perfectly with her lustrous golden locks and big blue eyes. But the thing that he liked the most was her voice — she sounded like an angel to him. Matt looked very handsome in his white formal military attire. He had a wide chest, a sharp jawline and his smile could melt the ice of Antarctica. His smooth voice was melting her too. They immediately started small talk among themselves but then slowly drifted apart, Frank with Maria, Luke with Claire, Matt with Karen and finally, Danny and Colleen were left standing there. Since everybody else was dancing, they decided to go dance too. 

Matt and Karen were having a great time getting to know each other. She was from Vermont and he was from New York. They had some things in common. He’d lost his mother and father and she’d lost her mother and brother. Also, they’d both decided to join the armed forces a couple of years ago. He was studying to be a lawyer, whereas she finished high school and wanted to be a journalist, but then the war started and all their plans changed. 

The party was getting too loud for them, so they decided to go for a walk at a nearby beach and talk quietly. They took their shoes off and walked for a bit, then sat on the warm sand. The clear sky was showcasing a constellation of stars and the moon was front and center in this never seen before spectacle.

They contemplated the skies for a moment, then Karen said, “We are so lucky to be here. This is like paradise, don’t you think?” 

And when she moved her head to look at him, he was looking at her, so close she could actually feel his warm breath. 

“Can I kiss you?” he asked with a smile. 

She smiled back. “Yes, you can.” 

And immediately after she finished the sentence, Matt’s lips were on hers. Their kisses were very gentle and sweet at first but then intensified after a while. Matt stopped and looked at her. He didn’t want to give her a bad impression; he liked her so much that he wanted to ensure another date with her. 

“Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?”

“Yes,” she replied while drunkenly looking at him. 

“Can I pick you up at six?”

“Do you know where I live?”

“No, but you can show me,” he said with a clever smile. He stood up and extended his hand to her. “Can I walk you home?” 

She took his hand and stood up by his side. He took her wide smile as a yes.

They arrived at her front steps after walking for a little while and had a last longing kiss. 

“Good night, Miss Page.”

“Good night, Mr. Murdock.”

Karen went up the stairs and into the building and Matt stood there looking at her until her figure disappeared inside. He then walked home but his mind was walking on the clouds.


	2. The Attack

Matt, Luke and Frank had just finished breakfast at the mess hall and were walking to the aircraft carriers when Matt looked at the sky and saw some planes coming towards the harbor in the distance. 

“This is strange,” he said. “I don’t remember any flight practice scheduled for this morning.” 

“Maybe you were too distracted thinking about the blonde from last night when they announced it,” Luke answered without paying too much attention to Matt. 

Matt disregarded his comment and kept looking at the sky. As the planes got closer, he spotted a big red circle on their fuselages.

“Those are Japs. Get down! Get down!” he yelled to his friends while pushing them to the ground. 

The planes immediately opened fire. One of the bombs hit a big container full of chemicals which exploded, splashing the liquid into Matt’s eyes and skin. Everything happened so quickly and there was so much noise and chaos that Frank and Luke didn’t hear Matt’s screams of pain as the chemical was burning him. He could not see, he scrambled through the ruins, he could hear screams and planes raining bullets and bombs on them. He could feel his skin burning and could taste the acid in his lips. 

When Frank heard Matt, he immediately got up and ran towards him. “We need to cover,” he told Matt, grabbing him by the arm and guiding him behind a thick metal wall. 

Luke also ran towards them, trying to avoid falling bodies, flying debris, bombs and bullets, to take refuge. They noticed Matt's eyes closed shut, his expression was pained and his skin red. “You need to take him to the hospital,” Frank told Luke. 

“What are you going to do?” Luke asked. 

“I will stay to fight them back.”

Luke didn’t see any other option. He wanted to stay and fight too but he had to save his friend. 

They waited until there was a short cease of fire. “Okay, I’ll take him to the hospital but I’ll come back,” Luke said, then Frank nodded and ran towards the ammunition room. 

“Are you ready?” Luke asked and Matt nodded. Luke put Matt’s arm around his shoulders, grabbed him at the waist and basically dragged him as fast as possible to the hospital. 

They got to the entrance and were immediately received by Claire. She usually worked the night shift but she came to the hospital to help as soon as she could. 

“What happened to him?” she asked. 

“He got splashed with something while trying to save us.” 

Claire quickly directed them to triage. After a short moment at the triage, he was sent to the burned patients unit in a gurney. Luke left to help Frank but not before reassuring Matt that he would be back with him. 

Matt was in such a bad state that he could not even answer simple questions like his name. Every little sound resonated in his ears like bombs, his head felt like it was about to explode, his skin and eyes were burning. He also had cuts and bruises from the flying debris. All his senses were overloaded with pain and he passed out before they could administer painkillers. 

Outside, everyone was grabbing guns and shooting at the enemy airplanes. Frank got ahold of a machine gun and shot until the enemy left, then looked around to see who needed help. The scene was dreadful: burned bodies lying lifeless on the ground, floating bodies in the bay covered in black oil and blood, some ships burning, others sinking and bleeding oil everywhere; the usually crystal clear water of the bay was now black and burning. It was hard for him to breathe, the smoke mixed with the smell of burning flesh and chemical fumes was almost asphyxiating him. He then saw a familiar face through the smoke. 

“Luke!” he yelled and waved his arms in the air, feeling relieved to find that his friend was still alive. Luke ran towards Frank but the latter collapsed in his arms. He was wounded by a metal shard that got embedded in his back, causing him to bleed profusely, but he hadn’t even noticed because of all the adrenaline running through his veins. Luke carried him on top of his shoulder to the hospital. 

After Frank was taken to surgery, Luke was approached by Claire, who wanted to make sure that he was okay. 

“I’m okay. How’s Matt?” he said while Claire was inspecting him. 

“We washed away the substance from his body as much as we could. He is currently asleep. All his exposed skin has first to second degree burns, but what worries me most are his eyes. They are burned and the doctor is not sure if he could be temporarily or permanently blind. He will probably need a long time to recover.” 

A few minutes later, they were experiencing another strike and Luke left to help with the counter attack. The attack continued into the evening and the hospital staff could not keep up with the amount of patients that were coming in. Most of them died even before they could tend to their wounds. But there was no time to cry or feel sorry for the victims, or eat or sleep. The adrenaline kept them going. 

The next day, Luke came to see Frank with Danny. Frank was in bed waking up from surgery. 

“Hey Frank. How are you feeling?” Luke asked with a sad smile. 

“I’m fine. How’s Red doing?” Red was Matt’s call sign. 

“He is recovering.” Luke didn’t want to give more details. He didn’t want Frank to worry. 

“Hey, have you heard about Maria? She hasn’t come to see me. Is she okay?” Frank asked drowsily but with concern. 

Luke and Danny looked at each other, trying to decide how to respond.

“There’s a lot of people still missing. We are trying to find her,” Danny replied.

“We’ll bring her back to you as soon as we find her,” Luke continued reassuringly. 

Frank was worried but the painkillers knocked him out soon. Luke and Danny left to keep looking for Maria.


	3. Hell

Matt slowly woke up to the groans and cries of pain coming from tortured souls. His skin felt hot and his eyes burned. Soon, the weeping and gnashing of teeth got louder and louder, the smell of burning flesh and smoke was making him queasy, his skin was getting hotter and the pain was intensifying. He was surrounded by darkness. He tried to move but he couldn’t, his hands and feet were tied. He cried for help but the cries from the suffering souls were so loud that he could barely hear himself. He could not see anything, but he was sure he was in hell, that he was burning in the eternal fire and he was finally paying for all his sins. He was slowly sinking into despair, then he remembered Psalm 23 from the scriptures and started to recite it quietly. 

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...”

Then he caught the smell of a familiar perfume, a clean and fresh floral scent amongst the infernal stench. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was but it was getting closer to him. 

“Hi, Matt,” said a feminine voice and then he felt a light touch on his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“An angel?” he said, almost crying with relief. “Am I in heaven now?”

She realized that he was delirious and quickly tried to clarify. “I’m Karen. Do you remember me?” Karen smiled although she knew he could not see her. 

“You came to get me out of hell, please get me out of here,” he said with a pained expression. His face and neck were red like if he had a really bad sunburn. His hands and arms had cuts and burns so they were bandaged, his eyes were covered with gauze and his lips were dried and cracked.

“I can’t get you outta here, sweetie, but I can get you some water.” She caressed his hair delicately. 

“Yes, please.” She left and Matt immediately regretted asking for water. He was left alone in hell again. 

It felt like an eternity, but Karen came back. “I have water and I’m gonna help you drink it. I’ll release your arms but you gotta promise me that you will not try to take off your bandages or touch your eyes,” she said softly. 

“Okay,” Matt said desperately. 

She then released his arms and moved the glass close to his mouth. He was taking gulps desperately and Karen had to move the glass away and remind him to drink slowly. He nodded and she resumed helping him. After he had enough water, Karen put the glass away and tried to explain what happened to him. But he could not concentrate on her voice, the noises around him were too overwhelming. 

Then a plane flew nearby and Matt yelled, “Get down, get down!” He covered his ears with his hands, his face was full of terror and the other patients started screaming. Soon the whole unit was in chaos, nurses and doctors were trying to calm down the other patients. 

“Matt, Matt,” Karen said firmly while grabbing his arm to get his attention. “It was one of our planes, it wasn’t the enemy,” she said trying to calm him down. 

He moved his head in her direction. “Why is everything so loud?” he cried. 

Karen realized that something was wrong with his hearing. “Listen to my voice,” she said quietly. “Try to block everything else and just listen to my voice. You are not in hell, Matt, you are in the hospital. Yes, we got attacked yesterday, but the enemy is not here anymore. You accidentally got chemicals splashed on you during the attack. The substance burned your skin and your eyes, and it probably got into your system through your mouth. We don’t know the extent of the damage to your body, but we will do whatever we can to help you recover.” 

Matt was really trying to concentrate on her voice, trying to process all she was saying, but everything felt like a nightmare and he could not wake up from it. 

“Now you need to rest, I’m going to inject you with a drug to help you sleep, but you have to stay very still.”

Matt suddenly felt very sleepy and dizzy and the world went totally quiet for him, finally.


	4. Help

The next few days were a blur to Matt. He kept hearing the very loud voices, the cries of agony and the weeping around him. He was in too much pain when he was awake, he felt the substance running through his veins like lava burning him from the inside. His body was fighting it, but it was just too strong. He would cry for help, try to escape and then hear Karen or Claire’s voice, feel a pinch in his arm, and everything would go silent. Then, he would have a nightmare and wake up again in terror. This would happen day after day, like Prometheus’ punishment. 

They kept reducing Matt’s drug dosages each day like the doctor ordered. Matt stayed awake longer and his pain decreased with time. After spending seven days in the bowels of hell and coming back, he realized that his vision was gone forever, that he would have to spend the rest of his days as a blind man.

One day Karen came early to start her morning shift. The hospital was quiet, and most of the patients were still asleep. She went straight to Claire and before she gave her the night report, Karen asked about Matt. 

“He had a rough night,” Claire said with a tired voice. “He would wake up to the most minuscule sound. He also complained that the bed sheets felt like sandpaper on his skin and that one of the nurses was wearing a strong perfume. He didn’t want her near him.” 

“Thanks, Claire, I’ll let Doctor Stevens know about this. I also noticed something strange about him. It’s like his other senses turned more sensitive after the incident.” 

“We need to keep observing him,” Claire said, “maybe it’s something temporary because of the trauma.” 

Karen got the rest of the night shift report from Claire before she left. Then she began her shift with Matt, whose bed was at the end of the big room. The room was filled with beds for as far as her eyes could see. There was no privacy, the metal framed beds were at arms length from one another. Matt was awake when she arrived. Some of his skin had blisters and his eyes were still covered. 

“Good morning,” she said in a whisper. 

“Good morning,” he replied quietly but with a long face.

“I heard that you didn't sleep well last night,” she said while resting her hand on his shoulder. “Can you tell me more about it?” 

“Claire already told you everything about it,” he said, annoyed as if they were talking behind his back. 

Karen was surprised. How could he hear them when they were talking very quietly on the other side of the unit? It further confirmed her theory about his enhanced senses. 

“Surprised? I can smell the grits that they are cooking in the cafeteria three floors down; also, the sweat from the guy that used this gown before they washed it and put it on me.”

Karen suddenly realized the hell Matt was living every day. She had to do something about it, she wanted to alleviate his pain and make him feel more comfortable. She bathed him with a very soft sponge, cleaned his wounds and changed his bed sheets, gown and dressings with the softest that she could find. She also shaved him carefully to not cut the blisters on his face and combed his hair. 

“They will bring breakfast soon, are you hungry?” 

“I don’t think I can eat anything right now.” 

“Okay, we can try again later,” she said hoping that his appetite changed. In fact, he hadn’t eaten much in the last few days and that worried her a little.

She did everything she could to make him feel more comfortable, she plugged his ears with cotton, hoping to reduce the noise, she softly applied numbing cream to his burned skin, and an ointment to his cracked lips. She put a note at the entrance of the unit asking people to be quiet and to not wear strong perfumes. She even brought him food that she knew he would like. Matt was able to sleep for a straight couple of hours that day without any drugs. 

After the doctor examined Matt, Karen asked to have a word with him in private to ask about Matt’s prognosis.

“It’ll be a miracle if he recovers his sight, his eyes were severely damaged. At this point there is very little we can do for him,” he said in a sympathetic way. 

Karen told him about Matt’s enhanced senses but the doctor dismissively told her that his strange behavior was probably caused by the trauma. 

“I don’t think it's just trauma, I think it is something more,” Karen said a little too loud. 

“Are you a psychiatrist now?” he said condescendingly.

“I am not, but please hear me out —”

“Look, I have too many patients to be focusing on just one. I’ll order a psych eval for him and we’ll see what the specialist says.” 

Karen was exasperated and frustrated, but there was nothing that she could do, she was an inexperienced nurse after all. 

She looked around and found some books and a bible. At the end of her shift, she went to Matt and asked if she could read to him. He agreed and she began to read the psalms. It seemed to soothe him enough for him to fall asleep. After he was deeply asleep she left for her apartment.

She shared her apartment with Trish, who worked at the local radio station, and her sister Jessica, who was training as a spy. Jessica noticed Karen looked physically and mentally drained. Her days at the hospital were long 12 hour shifts and she stayed even longer to spend some time with Matt. 

“You look like shit,” Jessica said, trying to look disinterested. Karen told Jessica about Matt, how she met him, how he lost his vision and how much he was struggling now to recover. Not that she thought Jessica cared but she needed to talk with somebody anyway. 

To Karen’s surprise, Jessica responded, “I have heard of an old blind guy who is a martial arts teacher, some of the spy students have taken classes with him and they say he is pretty rough, but what he lacks in vision he makes up for with all his other senses. I can find out more about him if you want.”

“Yes, please,” Karen said eagerly, “I think what Matt needs is to feel independent and useful again to help him cope and recover.” 

“Okay, I’ll let you know what I can find.”


	5. Coping

Maria’s lifeless body was found close to the harbor. She was taking a break from her shift before the attack started and she was caught by a bullet from one of the enemy’s planes. Luke was the one who told Frank while he was still recovering at the hospital. 

Frank couldn’t contain the tears. “She was the love of my life,” he told Luke. “We were getting married this summer.” He punched the bed and Luke embraced him with his big arms. He continued to cry in Luke’s shoulder. 

“I’m very sorry,” was all that Luke could say. 

Danny, on the other hand, was at the police station arguing with the cops. He was growing fond of Colleen and they were having lunch together that day when some cops came and took her for questioning. 

“Just because she is of Asian heritage doesn’t mean she is the enemy,” he said, exasperated.

“Calm down boy, or I’m gonna put you in prison too,” said the old police officer. 

He wanted to strangle the cop right there but instead, he decided to go look for a lawyer. 

The next day Frank was released from the hospital and went to see Matt. He had a sad expression, his eyes were still covered with bandages, and some skin was peeling from his face and arms. 

“I heard about Maria, I’m very sorry for your loss,” Matt said sadly.

“Luke told you,” Frank assumed.

“Something like that.” Matt didn’t want to tell all the details of his condition to Frank, it was bad enough that the doctor and most of the nurses thought he was crazy. He didn’t want to put more burden on Frank, so he acted as normally as he could. 

It was difficult for Frank to see his friend like that, even more so because he was one of the reasons why he ended up blind. “Thanks for what you did for us out there.” Then, Frank swore to avenge them and his beloved Maria. “I will go fight the war in the Pacific, Red,” he told Matt. 

“I understand,” was all that he could say, and Frank said goodbye as if he was sure he was never going to see him again. 

After days of questioning at a camp for Asian detainees, Colleen was finally released and reunited with Danny and her family. She decided to join the armed forces and was sent to the Pacific along with Frank, Luke, and Danny.

A couple of weeks had passed since the attack and things were relatively calmer. Patients were being slowly discharged, but Matt was still there. His skin was healed and his appetite was coming back little by little, but he had terrible nightmares that kept him awake and he still couldn’t see. He was going to be discharged soon, but he didn’t have any family or anywhere to go to. He had a psychiatrist that came to see him regularly and diagnosed him with combat stress reaction. 

The military chaplain, Father Lantom, also visited and talked to Matt. Their philosophical conversations about God and religion seemed to calm him and give him perspective. He was making progress on his mind and soul, but he needed to work more on his body’s recovery. He was learning how to block the noises and focus his senses, especially on Karen’s and Claire’s voices; they were so soothing to him. 

Karen began her shift as usual that day. Matt was always the first and last patient she saw. She had already helped him to get bathed and changed and was preparing to take his vitals.

“Hey, handsome,” she said with a smile. “You still owe me a date, don’t think I forgot about it.” 

“I’m blind, Karen,” Matt said dryly.

“I know, but that is not an impairment for dating. As far as I know, everything else is fine with you,” she said, biting a smile.

“I have nothing to offer you, my career as a pilot is done. Do you really want to date a blind man?”

“No, I just want to date you,” she said while taking his pulse. 

“I am not the same person you met that night at the ball.”

“That’s too bad, I thought you were Matt Murdock.”

“You know what I mean... I am broken,” Matt said, exasperated.

“Aren’t we all? Some more than others,” she said reflexively.

“You deserve better, Karen.”

“So do you.” She finished taking his temperature and then caressed his hair and touched his shoulder gently. “I’ll be around tending other patients. If you need me, just call me. Okay?” she said in a reassuring voice. 

Later that day a thin old man with a walking stick came to the hospital asking for Mathew Murdock. 

Karen received him. “You must be Stick. I’m Karen.” Not knowing if she should extend her hand for him to shake or just smile, she decided to do the latter.

“Nice meeting you. Can you take me to him?” he said, extending his upper arm in her direction. 

“Sure,” Karen said, holding it and guiding him to Matt. She introduced them and then left to give them some privacy but kept an eye on them from the distance while tending to other patients. 

Stick threw a set of keys at Matt and he immediately caught them. 

“So, it is true what they say. You have enhanced senses. I can teach you how to use them if you are interested. I promise you that by the end of our training you won’t even miss your sight, kid. I would make you a better warrior.”

Stick’s offer was too good for Matt to resist, so he agreed. Matt was released from the hospital the next day and left to train with Stick. He moved in with Stick to become his full time trainee. Stick taught him how to meditate to heal faster, how to better control his body and emotions, how to fight without using his sight; like Stick promised, he became a better warrior than he was before. They trained intensively for months and although Stick insisted that Matt cut relations with his friends, especially Karen, he kept spending time with her. Matt revered Karen like a holy being. He knew she was no saint, but she rescued him from hell, made him feel loved and accepted, and he was forever grateful for that. 

Karen understood that Matt could only offer her friendship and nothing more. She didn’t want to pressure him. For her, his friendship was better than not having him in her life at all. She couldn’t understand why she was so attracted to him, why he meant so much to her. Maybe she was trying to atone for her past errors by helping him, or maybe she thought she couldn’t fix her life but that she could help him fix his. She couldn’t save her mother, but she saved him.

Around six months later, Matt and Karen were having their weekly dinner at their favorite diner. It became a routine for them to meet each week, to catch up, to talk about their day or their week or simply enjoy each other’s company. But that particular day, Matt had a bad feeling, he didn't know why, and then when he met Karen at the diner, the feeling got worse. He could sense her sadness, he could tell that she was crying before getting there. She greeted him like she did every time, with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and they sat down. 

“There is something in your voice, something happened,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “Can you tell me what it is?” 

Karen told Matt that she was going to be sent to Europe to help with the war victims. The news felt like a bucket of ice water thrown over him. He was losing his angel, his North Star, the only light in his world of darkness. His friends were gone, his family was dead, and now he was losing her too. 

“I’ll leave in a couple of weeks,” she said, but Matt didn’t react, didn't say anything. He felt like the world was closing on him and he was running out of air.

“I would like to spend some days with you,” she continued. “We have to make the most of our time left.” 

“Sure,” was the only thing that escaped his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PTSD diagnosis didn’t exist until after WWII, during that time it was known as Combat Stress Reaction or Battle Fatigue.


	6. Discover

Karen rented a small beachfront cabin after convincing Matt to spend a weekend together before she had to go to Europe. She set a blanket on the sand in front of the cabin on the first night. The sky was full of stars, the moon looked so close it felt like they could touch it. It reflected on the water of the deep blue lagoon in front of them. The sand felt warm under them and the rhythm of the waves was soothing, the breeze was cool and smelled like the sea. It was a perfect night and neither of them wanted it to end. 

They were drinking wine and chatting and for a moment Matt forgot about his problems, his insecurities and the fact that she was leaving in a few days. Then, after finishing the whole bottle, their lips met and their hands found each other’s bodies. Things were heating up very quickly and Karen’s hand brushed over Matt’s lap. Matt stopped kissing her and moved his head away.

“Do you wanna go inside?” Karen asked, gesturing to the cabin with her head. 

“I am not sure I can,” he said smiling as if he was trying to be polite. 

“What do you mean?” she said while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

He stayed silent for a moment, as if he was trying to find the words to tell her. 

“I haven’t been with a woman after I lost my vision, I am not sure if I will be able...” he stopped and lowered his head.

“Able to what?” she had an idea of what he meant but she wanted him to say it. She wanted him to finally open up to her. 

He raised his head back up to her level. “I am not sure if I will be able to satisfy you.”

She gently cupped his face in her hand. “And I have never been with a blind man before. We can figure it out, together, we’ll find out how,” she said confidently. She took his hand and guided him inside the cabin, to their room. When they got there, she took both his hands. 

“I’ll help you undress me,” she said while slowly moving his hands to the hem of her short dress. He took off her dress, then her underwear. Then she proceeded to undress him, starting with his shirt, kissing him for every button she opened, going down his chest and abs until she reached his belt. She unbuckled his pants, then gently pushed them down along with his underwear, her hands never lost contact with his skin. She continued to kiss him and guide him until they reached the bed. 

“Would you sit down?” she asked with her hand on his chest, pushing him gently into bed. He sat in bed and put his back against the headboard and she sat on his lap, facing him. She took both his hands again and guided him through the maze of her body, starting at her porcelain face and going down her long neck. He could feel her pulse accelerating, then moving down to where her heart was beating strong. 

“I love you,” she said, “you know it’s true.” 

“I know,” he replied, licking his lips. “I love you too.” 

She continued to guide him down her waist to her warm hips, never releasing his hands. 

“Can I taste you?” he asked. 

“You can do whatever you please, my body is yours to enjoy,” she said with a playful smile.

She laid by his side and he felt like a little boy in a candy store, his smile was the most joyful Karen had seen on him. He started to kiss her sweet lips, tasting her and enjoying every inch of her body, forgetting all his inhibitions. His fingers traced her every outline and painted her picture in his head. He explored her body with his hands and tongue and lips, searching for her treasures. And when his mouth finally reached her center, he got lost in her and didn’t want to find the way out.

Her orgasm on his mouth was the best thing he ever felt and her moans the most beautiful music to his ears; the contractions of her body sent shivers down his spine. He smiled against her, he could not see her but he could feel her ecstasy, her body responding to him, and he could not believe how he was capable of giving her such pleasure. He was discovering himself while discovering her. 

Then, he wanted to be inside of her so badly, Karen wanted it too and he knew it. He could sense her arousal once again, so he moved up to kiss her lips, and positioned himself at her entrance, teasing her until she grabbed his hips and guided him inside. He could not help to contain the moans and groans of pleasure escaping from him, his senses became overwhelmed with pleasure. His body was betraying him and he stopped moving.

“I can’t contain it,” he said, frustrated. 

She whispered in his ear, “I want you to come for me.” 

And that was the last push he needed to go over the edge. Waves of pleasure took over his body like he never experienced before and he did not know how to handle it. His body collapsed by Karen’s side, his heart was pounding almost out of his chest, then he slowly calmed down as Karen caressed his chest until he fell asleep. 

He woke up to Karen’s soft heartbeat, she was asleep by his side, her body molded to his, and that gave him a sense of peace like he’d never had before. She was still there with him, she didn’t leave. He realized that he had all he wanted and all he needed right there and he fell deeply asleep again.

“Matt... Matt...” Karen whispered in his ear. He moved his head very drowsily in her direction. 

“What time is it?” he asked, putting his head back on the pillow. 

“It’s midnight,” she replied, “Let’s go skinny dipping.” 

“Huh?” he replied half asleep, half puzzled. 

“Let’s go for a swim. Come on, for good luck.” She got up and practically dragged him out of bed and ran laughing towards the beach. He followed her voice until his feet touched the water, then started to feel the waves hitting his legs. 

“Come on,” she said, taking him by the hand and guiding him deeper into the water. The night was warm but the water was cold, although not as cold as he expected.

She sat down with the water above her waist and gently pulled him down to sit in front of her. 

“It’s cold,” she said, trembling, and he put his arms around her naked body. He was so warm and looked so beautiful under the light of the full moon. His shiny lips invited her to kiss them and she couldn’t resist. 

They were consumed with passion for each other once again and couldn’t go back to the cabin on time. They made love on the blanket that was still outside and declared eternal love for each other with the sea and the moon as witnesses. 

The next day Karen woke up to a surprise breakfast in bed that Matt prepared. After they finished breakfast, Karen noticed that Matt had been pensive for a while. 

“Is something bothering you?” Karen asked, rubbing his back.

“I wanna try again and see if I can last longer this time,” he said, moving his head in her direction.

“You know that doesn’t bother me at all, but I want you to enjoy it too, as much as you can, so of course we can try as many times as you want.” She got close to him and kissed him.

Matt always made sure that Karen was satisfied first and this time wasn’t the exception. Karen also tried to prolong his pleasure as much as she could by stopping when he told her he was getting close. In addition, they tried different positions until they found the one that suited his sensitive body better. Karen’s love and patience and Matt’s training to control his body paid off, and by the end of the weekend, Matt had turned into the best lover she ever had and he was able to enjoy making love like never before. 

“I don’t want this summer to end,” Matt told Karen while lying in bed the next day.

“I wish it wouldn’t end either,” she said while lazily caressing his chest with her fingertips. “I promise you, I will write every day, for as long as I can, until I come back.”

Matt smiled, but his heart was sad. “I will do the same.”


	7. The Dreaded Day

The dreaded day came when they’d have to say goodbye to each other. Matt accompanied Karen to the port. 

“Have you decided what you are going to do while I’m gone?” she asked while on their way. 

“I think I’m going back to New York to become a lawyer. There is nothing holding me here anymore.” He was thinking about his friends who were deployed to Asia to fight the war in the Pacific. Claire stayed in Hawaii but she was planning to eventually go back to her family in New York. 

“Good, that's what you always wanted.” She smiled proudly. “But what about Stick?”

“Look, I am very grateful for all the things he taught me, but he wants a soldier, and I am done fighting other people's wars. I want to fight with the law, like my father always wanted me to do.”

“What if the law isn’t enough?” 

Matt stayed silent for a while, his thoughts revolving around the question. Then the taxi cab stopped and he realized they arrived. Karen wanted to pay for the taxi but he insisted on paying instead. 

The ship was leaving soon, and all the other couples and families were saying their goodbyes, most with tears. Karen was trying so hard to hold them back and Matt knew. He gave her one of those comforting hugs, the ones that made her forget that the world existed. Then she couldn’t contain her tears anymore. They started flowing and Matt kissed her tears away. 

“You will see me soon,” he assured her.

She gave him her necklace which she wore every day, “Take it,” she said, “that way you will have a part of me with you always.” He took it and put it on, the silver chain with a circular pendant was long enough that he could wear it under his shirt. 

She boarded the ship and waved goodbye; although he couldn’t see her, he smelled her perfume and heard her heartbeat fading away. The salty taste of her tears lingered on his lips as she disappeared into the ocean. He didn’t want to eat or drink anything, he didn’t want it to fade away.


	8. New Life

Matt went back to New York and enrolled in law school. He wrote to Karen every day, and he received letters from her every day, those letters kept him going. She was stationed in England, and would write about her day tending to victims of the war and the one amazing day when she met Captain America. He would write about his philosophical discussions with his roommate and friend, Foggy, and later about his growing frustrations at Landman and Zack and the crime wave in the city. She would also call him on special occasions and they would save the sound of each other’s voices like a treasure until their next conversation. 

But her calls and letters became scarcer with time, he knew it was difficult for her to keep up, she was moved constantly across Europe as the war intensified. It still broke his heart every time he went to pick up the mail and there was no letter from her. He also kept in touch with Claire, who was still in Hawaii, and the rest of his friends in Asia.

Matt graduated from law school and opened a firm with Foggy in Hell’s Kitchen. They didn't make much money, but defending the innocent brought enough satisfaction. And, when the law wasn’t enough he became Daredevil, the blind vigilante dressed in black, patrolling Hell’s Kitchen from up high. 

Three years passed and he stopped getting letters from Karen altogether. Fearing the worst, he became more relentless and clumsy on his nights out. He was giving the heroin drug dealers a hard time, so they decided to get together and set a trap for him. He knew it was a trap but he went for it anyway. A group of men were waiting for him, and although he beat them all by himself, he was badly injured. Punched and stabbed everywhere, he barely got back to his apartment. Luckily, Foggy came looking for him and found him unconscious and bleeding on the floor. That was how he found out that Matt was Daredevil. Also, luckily for him, Claire was back in New York working as a nurse and Foggy was able to get her to help Matt. 

Shortly after that incident, the war ended and Karen left Europe, but she didn’t want to go back to Vermont — too many bad memories there. She wrote a letter to Matt before returning, telling him that she was coming to visit him and possibly stay and start a new life, but the letter never reached him and she didn’t know. She had not heard from Matt in a while and was sure that he had started a new life with someone else, but she still needed to see him, at least one more time. She asked the taxi driver to take her to the Nelson and Murdock Law Office. 

She regretted it as soon as she arrived, she was nervous, she didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t knock and was about to leave when the door opened. “Karen?” said the man that opened it. He was dressed in a suit, his hair slicked to the side and had red tinted glasses. 

“Hello, I’m looking for Mr. Murdock,” she said shyly. 

“Karen, it’s me,” and when he said that, it all came back to her, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a knot in her throat. He wasn’t wearing his khakis or his crew cut, and he looked so mature, but still very handsome. The insecure young man was gone, he wasn’t her Matt Murdock, she thought. Then he hugged her, and she knew it, he may look different but his feelings for her were still the same. He hugged her like he was holding on to life, like she was his most precious possession in this world. She hugged him back and tears began to flow once again, like the last time they saw each other. After all these years, after all the horrors they had witnessed, they were finally in each other’s arms. 

It had been a while since Matt answered the door and Foggy heard soft sobs. He got concerned and went to look for Matt. He was there, embracing some tall, blonde girl, with some luggage at her feet, and the door was still open. He didn’t want to interrupt the moment but Matt noticed him before he could leave. He stepped away from Karen, both of them teary-eyed. Matt took a handkerchief out of his breast pocket and offered it to Karen. 

“Foggy, this is Karen Page. Karen, this is Franklin Nelson, better known as Foggy.”

“Pleased to finally meet you. I have heard so many things about you — good of course,” said the blonde, chubby man, smiling. 

Karen dried her tears with Matt's handkerchief and smiled back. “Nice to meet you too.”

“Wow, I can see why Matt was so obsessed with you,” he said looking at her from top to bottom. He quickly realized that Karen was blushing. “Sorry, did I say that too loud?” They all laughed. “Well, if Matt is not going to invite you in, I will. Please come in,” he said with a hand gesture. 

They finally stepped into the office and showed her around, it was small and humble, but it felt like home. Karen and Foggy hit it off immediately, Matt couldn’t deny the chemistry between them, they looked like they were old friends and that made him feel even happier. It felt really good to hear her voice and her angelic laughter again. While they talked, Matt was studying Karen, she was changed, she wasn’t a soldier, but she had the heart of a warrior, her soul was full of scars that only he could see and her spirit, although a little weathered, was still soaring. 

Matt took her to a diner when they felt hungry. Memories from their time in Hawaii came flowing back to them. It felt like it all happened centuries ago.

“Where are you staying?” he asked casually.

“I haven’t booked a hotel yet, I came to see you as soon as I arrived.” She bit a smile. 

“All the hotels are booked, everyone’s coming back to New York. You can stay with me if you like — I’ll sleep on the sofa,” he quickly clarified. 

Although they had been together in the past, he respected her and wanted to make her feel comfortable. 

“Thank you,” she said. “It'll only be temporary, I’ll start looking for an apartment first thing tomorrow. I will also enroll in the School of Journalism. ” 

It was the logical thing for her to do, but the thought of being away from her again made his heart hurt. 

“Sounds great, let me know if you need any help with anything. You can also work with us, if you need extra money, we can use some help at the office,” he said with a smile. 

They went back to the office to get her bags and then to Matt’s apartment. Karen couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. She looked out the stained glass windows to the sky and the full moon illuminated her face, creating a golden halo. She remembered that night when they had been together at the beach, but tried to shake the thought away. Things were different now, they were different. 

She looked back at Matt. “I read about a black-dressed vigilante in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“Interesting,” he replied while offering her a glass of whiskey. 

“I guess the law wasn’t enough after all.” She took a sip without taking her eyes off him, trying to see his reactions. 

He grinned and took a sip of his glass too.

“You don’t have to hide it, Matt. I know you too well,” she said in a serious tone directly looking at him.

“If — I was the vigilante, I would be breaking the law. Would you still want to be with me?”

And there he was, the young insecure Matt was back. She quietly laughed, “If you were the vigilante,” she said while walking towards him, “I would ask you to put on the black suit for me.” — She cupped his face and gently caressed a bruise on his cheek — “I would want proof.” Then she pulled away from him, looked around and asked, “Where do you keep it?”

He stepped away from her and walked to the closet. He took the black suit in his hand and showed it to her. 

She smiled. “I like it.”

He set the suit aside and embraced her. “I can’t believe you are here. God, I thought I lost you.” 

He held her tighter, the sides of their faces connected, and he breathed her in. She caressed the back of his neck and buried her fingers in his dark silky hair while putting her other arm around his shoulders. The fragrance of his cologne mixed with his natural one woke up something in her that she hasn't felt in a long time; the desire to be his once more. She whispered his name and her voice was like sweet wine running through his veins making him feel all tingly and weak. They both separated their faces from one another but their lips met like magnets. 

Once they started they could not stop kissing. Their desire for each other grew with every kiss, every touch, every moan. Their original plans for the night were destroyed and forgotten. Matt picked her up and walked to his bed, carrying her in his arms. Karen felt his silk sheets under her, a clear contrast to his rough hands caressing her skin. She got undressed and confessed she was still his, he still wore her pendant close to his heart. His fingers followed the familiar path to her gate and entered her. It felt like being home, after all this time his body still remembered her, her curves and lines, her favorite places and her taste. She welcomed him and gave him all that she had, and when she was finally spent, he filled her up completely, again and again and again, until his body could not hold it anymore and then, she was overflowing with his essence.

“Let’s get married,” he said in a love drunk voice, breathing into her neck. 

“Ask me tomorrow, when you are sober,” she answered almost out of breath.

And he did ask her, every day for a week until she finally said yes. 

They got married a month later in Honolulu, at the same beach that witnessed their first love. It was a very informal wedding. Father Lantom officiated the ceremony in which they were surrounded by their friends under the magnificent blue sky and with the warm sand under their feet. The vast turquoise-colored sea was their background; the rhythm of the waves and palm trees dancing in the breeze created their wedding song. To other people it may have seemed like a shotgun wedding, but for them it was the culmination of years of waiting and longing and losing hope until they found each other again.


End file.
